Lewiston man to serve two years for medical marijuana robbery – Chicago Tribune

A 20-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for his role in last year’s robbery of a Lewiston man’s medical marijuana.

Ricardo Hairston of Lewiston, a former track star at Edward Little High School, pleaded guilty last month in Androscoggin County Superior Court to charges of robbery, burglary and theft. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with eight years suspended on the felony robbery and burglary charges. Both sentences are to be served at the same time. He also was sentenced to 30 days in jail on the misdemeanor theft charge to be served during the other sentences.

Hairston was sentenced to serve three years of probation when he’s released from prison. During those three years, he will be barred from using or having alcohol, illegal drugs, firearms or dangerous weapons. He’ll need to submit to random searches.

He also won’t be allowed contact with the victims, Scott and Wendy Breton, as well as co-defendants Derrick J. McDuffy, 22, and Kevin Stitchel, 22, both of Lewiston.

He was also ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to the victims, in partnership with co-defendants. However, if they don’t pay their share, he will have to pay all of it.

The time Hairston was to serve in prison had been capped at five years in a plea agreement reached in April with prosecutors, but his attorney, George Hess, argued for less prison time Thursday.

Stitchel had pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. On the robbery charge, he was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison with all but four years suspended, plus three years of probation. He is serving a two-year concurrent sentence for the lesser charge.

McDuffy is awaiting trial after having undergone a recent mental health exam and changed court-appointed attorneys.

McDuffy was charged with robbery, burglary and criminal threatening, all felonies. He also was charged with violation of condition of release and theft by unauthorized taking, both misdemeanors.

The three men had been arrested and charged in connection with the September 2011 robbery of the Bretons at their Pierce Street apartment.

Scott Breton said the men, whom he didn’t know, had come for his marijuana, which he said he used legally for health problems. One of the men put a shotgun against his face and threatened repeatedly to shoot him, he said.

One of the men was armed with a double-barreled shotgun and another with a handgun when they kicked in his door at about 9 a.m., he and his wife told police.

The couple said the men knew that Scott Breton had marijuana. The couple also was robbed of an iPod, a cellphone and a laptop computer.

Wanda Breton called police from her cellphone. Within minutes, police arrived.

Although Scott Breton didn’t recognize the men, he was able to describe them. Police tracked the three to an apartment building around the corner at 21 Walnut St. At that address, police found the two guns and some of the stolen property that had been stuffed into a dryer. They said they found the suspects hiding in another apartment on the third floor.